Morning Gratitude

*TRIGGER ALERT: I wrote this poem as a light-hearted sentiment about the morning after an argument with a spouse, and about how we feel after resolving an argument and how we reconnect with eachother through intimacy. Please note that by "fight" I mean "disagreement." In NO WAY do I mean for this poem to imply tolerance to any kind of abuse. It is normal for couples to disagree from time-to-time. It is not normal, however, to abuse the one you love. How you resolve conflict as a couple speaks volumes about the health of your relationship. Guys commonly joke that it is always wisest to tell his wife she is right rather than engage in a fight. All jokes aside, love is about respect, communication, kindness, empathy, nurturing and all those things that place value on one's partner and oneself. Abuse of any kind (physical, sexual, mental, emotional, financial) is not ok. You deserve to be loved and have a healthy relationship. If you are in an abusive relationship, please seek professional help through a counsellor, social worker, church, police, women's centre, women's shelter. Hoping that your abuser will change without professional help is not going to make the abuse stop and the abuse may get worse and more frequent over time. There is help available. And if you are a man who is abusive to his partner, children or others, please get help for this. There are men's counsellors and groups for this. Abusive behaviors are learned behaviors as abuse is often passed down from one generation to the next. Abuse is also about trying to control others, perhaps because you feel threatened by them in some way, or feel inadequate. Just feeling remorseful and saying that you will never hit or hurt again is not a guarantee. You need to get help to learn better ways to cope with your anger and self-esteem. You deserve an abuse-free life as much as anyone.

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Good morning, My Love.

Thank you for forgiving me after our fight.

Thank you for realising that I was right.

Thank you for the comfort of your warmth last night.

Thank you for bringing our pleasure to a new height.

Thank you for loving me until dawn’s early light.

Thank you for making today feel so bright.

Good morning, My Love.